So I’ve been thinking about the Halo 5 story and how is was presented, and if possible how it could of been improved (without changing too much) I don’t know if this version of the story would fit with EU so if not my apologies. Let me know what you think. (Please excuse my bad grammar)
The alternate story starts off with Blue Team on Argent Moon. Instead of Master Chief having a strange vision (which they don’t explain very well) he finds information on one of the computers about the research ONI had discovered on the Domain. This hints at a possibility of Cortana still being alive, or at least that Chief can still save her. Chief decides he’s going to need Halsey’s help and extensive knowledge of Forerunner Technology in order to find Cortana. Blue Team sets out to find Halsey. The game then transitions to Locke’s point of view, and his attempt to retrieve Halsey. At their encounter with Jul, Blue team shows up and they square off. Ultimately Blue Team escapes with Halsey. This gives Locke more incentive to find and capture Chief as well as the UNSC to find him. He now has captured their most wanted criminal and has intercepted Locke’s mission. The story progresses from this point the same it does in the normal version of the game. They travel to the Glassed planet, encounter Warden Eternal and fight with Chief. Blue Team escapes once again, and Locke now must leave the planet. However in this version of the story, we actually get to see the devastation that the Guardian causes on the planet, perhaps in a mission similar to the live action trailer in which the city is crumbling. This again would give Locke more of a reason to hunt Chief and would make the audience question the Chief’s motives as well (instead of just hearing audio of people dying like we got in the game) Entering Genesis, Chief encounters a crumbling Cortana who has split herself into different fragments (I don’t know if this is canon or possible but it is a fan alt-story after all) Split between her hate for Halsey and affection for John, you have to navigate the level unable to trust Cortana (Essentially she would be calm at times and then for no reason change the level format, or activate bridges and then deactivate them while your on them. Similar to Glados or Wheatly in that they are almost messing with your mind, however with Cortana she just has trouble controlling her rampancy) Halsey claims she can fix Cortana, but secretly intends to destroy her as she knows Cortana’s real danger. She sends her coordinates to Osiris for rescue secretly. Blue Team’s mission becomes to enter the domain in order to rescue Cortana and have Halsey fix. Meanwhile Locke’s missions remain mostly the same. Osiris travels to Sanghelios and they activate the Guardian. However again a change in the story is a cutscene that truly shows the devastation the Guardians are causing, and Locke can only assume its Chief’s doing. Back with Chief, they enter the Domain. Cortana locks Chief in suspension and keeps Halsey and the rest of Blue team out of the sphere. Cortana, entering her final stages of rampancy, confesses that she in unable to stop herself. She reveals her plans to activate the Halo rings in order to start a new cycle, and promises that when Chief emerges the galaxy will be a better place and he will be able to live the life that was taken from him. At this moment Blue team breaks in and Cortana sends an army of Warden Eternals after them. Halsey in killed in the ensuing battles. Escaping the sphere, Blue Team and Osiris meet and clash. Angered from Cortana’s betrayal and Halsey’s death, as well as Lockes anger, the two have a truly passionate battle. In the fight, Chief kills Locke. Blue team and Osiris are shocked. His death is seen off camera, and we the audience is unsure if Locke dying is a result of Chief protecting himself, or if it was uncalled for. Going into Halo 6 we question Chief’s sanity and morality.
So thats my alternate version of Halo 5. What do you think? I know it its not perfect at all so let me know what I got wrong.